Let Me Go
by Miss Pretty Girl
Summary: 3x22 What if Alaric killed Damon before he himself died, how will Elena take the news? Who else will take Damon's death to heart other than Stefan and Elena? different ending. Delena/ little to no Stelena


Disclaimer: I Own Nothing

* * *

Elena sat in the passenger side of Matt's truck, waiting for him to get off the phone.

"Got it, Jer" Matt ended the call.

"We have to go back." She said looking toward Matt. "Listen to me, Matt, if Klaus is the one that turned their bloodline, then they're all gonna die." She stopped but Matt doesn't turn around or make any indication that he heard her. "We have to go back, Matt!"

"Elena" Matt said.

"What?!" Elena half yelled.

"Damon's not with them." He said remorseful

"What?" she asked again but it came out more of a whisper this time.

"He's a hundred miles out of town." He said looking at her after finally pulling over. "I can keep driving to him or I can turn around and go back to Stefan. It's your choice."

Elena's face fell as she tried to make her decision.

* * *

Damon was leaning up against the truck, when his phone rings.

_Elena_

Read across the screen, before he picks it up.

"Let me guess, calling to see if the Grim Reaper's paid a visit?" he answered.

"How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?" Elena rushes out.

"Not yet." He replied getting up from the truck. "But I'm sure we'll have a laugh when we find out that Klaus is a big, fat liar."

"Yeah, I'm …" she started "I'm sure we will."

"Hey, where are you?" he asked after a pause.

Elena looked over at Matt before replying. "Matt's taking me home."

Damon's face fell "To Stefan." he said with resolve. He never thought he would end up with the girl, but he had hoped against odds that this time was different.

"Not just to Stefan, Damon." She tried to justify her answer. "To Tyler, to Caroline."

"Ah, I know, I get it." He said, knowing the truth. "So, since I'm possibly a dead man, can I ask you a question?" he asked after a pause.

"Yeah, of course." She answered fervent to answer, what could be his last question.

"If it was just down to him and me," he said walking to lean against the coffin. "And you had to make a choice who got the goodbye," he took a deep breath, before continuing "Who would it be?" He finally asked, the masochist in him making an appearance; having hope, when he knew the answer already.

Elena starts to choke up. "I love him, Damon." The last pieces of Damon's heart shattered, his face dropped, and all his hope disappeared. "He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly. No matter what I feel for you, I…" she paused gathering her courage to finish "I never unfell for him."

"Yeah, I get it." He said for the second time that night. "Stefan," he took a deep breath "it's always gonna be Stefan." he continued, repeating the same words she said to him so many months ago. He was now resolved to always being everyone second best, to never being good enough.

"I can't think about always." She jumps in and says. "All I can think about is right now. And I care about you, Damon, which is why I have to let you go." She continues but Damon was lost in his own thoughts, "I mean, maybe if you and I had met first."

"Yeah, maybe." He said, knowing that it wouldn't have matter either way.

"You're gonna be fine." She said, her voice stronger this time. Damon turns around and look up at his once best friend. "You hear me. You're gonna be okay and I'm gonna see you soon."

"Real soon." Damon says, placating her. "Goodbye, Elena. I love you" He whisper into the phone for the last time before hanging up, not hearing the sob she lets out.

"I see you're still pissed." He says to Alaric. "I take it Goldilocks gave you the slip." He said before Alaric rushes over towards him and punches him in the face.

* * *

"You too, Care." Elena says to Caroline before hanging up the phone.

"What now?" Matt ask as Elena starts getting teary eyed.

"It's Tyler, he um… he's…" she tries to get out the words, but the word never came through.

"Damn it." Matt begins to choke up and gets angry and starts hitting his fist against the seat. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Matt, Matt!" Elena yelled to him. "No. Stop it."

"This isn't how our lives were supposed to be, Elena." Matt said

Elena has her phone out. "I need to call Stefan, but my phone is dying."

"Here." Matt pulls out his phone. "Use mine." He said handing it over as they drive towards Wickory Bridge.

"Thanks." She says taking the phone before looking up "Matt, look out!"

Matt looks up and sees Rebekah standing in the road and swerves to avoid her, sending the truck flying over the guardrail and into the water.

* * *

Alaric has nearly beaten Damon to death. Blood is running down his face as he throws him to the ground and Damon doesn't get up.

"You're not gonna fight back?" Alaric asked.

"You're kind of invincible, Ric." Damon breathes out.

"Don't call me that." Ric says as he kicks Damon in the face. "We're not friends."

"We were." Damon grits out.

"Well, our friendship was part of the problem." He replies. "It's what kept me weak. It's also why it took so long for the real me to break through and now I'm gonna break you." Alaric says, hitting Damon in the face, knocking him backwards.

_Flashback _

_Damon is lying in the middle of the road, waiting for his next meal. Suddenly, he hears a familiar voice. Elena is on the phone with Bonnie not too far away._

_"I know Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him. At least not tonight. I'll call you later." Elena said before she hangs up and suddenly Damon appears in front of her._

_"Katherine" Damon said in confusion._

_"No – um – I" Elena looks behind her to make sure he's not talking to someone else. "I'm Elena." _

_"Oh, you – you just look…" He starts before stopping himself. "I'm sorry, you just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon." He says instead._

_"Not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." She replies eyeing him suspiciously. _

_Damon smirks "You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself."_

_Elena runs her hand through her hair. "It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here." There is a pause and Elena begins to talk again. "Got into a fight with my boyfriend." She says, feeling the need to explain her reason for being out there._

_"About what?" he says before putting he hands up in defense. "May I ask?"_

_Elena sighs "Life, future, he's got it all mapped out."_

_"And you don't want it?" he says with a nod._

_"I don't know what I want." She sighs again._

_"Well, that's not true." He says with a smirk. "You want what everybody wants."_

_"What, mysterious stranger who has all the answers?" she flirts._

_"Hm, well, let's just say I've been around a long time." He said getting a faraway look in eyes. "I've learned a few things."_

_"So, Damon, tell me." she smirks. "What is it that I want?"_

_"You want a love that consumes you." He replies moving closer to her. "You want passion, an adventure, and even a little danger." He stops a foot away from her._

_"So, what do you want?" wanting to know about him._

_Damon hesitates, being caught off guard by her question. Before he could he answer question Elena's parents pull up and honk their horn. _

_"It's my parents." She says turning to look at the car._

_Damon moved even closer to her when she turns back around and compels her, "I want you to get everything that you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget that this happened." He says with a smirk. "Can't have people knowing that I'm in town yet. Goodnight, Elena," before disappearing into the woods._

_Flashback ends_

Damon is still lying on the ground with Alaric is standing over him. "Is that all you got?" he taunts with a smirk.

"Not quite" Alaric replies grabbing the stake and pushes it towards Damon's chest, but Damon grabs the stake and throws Ric off of him. He gets up and starts hitting him in the face.

* * *

By the time Elena wakes up, the truck has sunk to the bottom of the river. She looks over at Matt and sees his eyes are shut, Elena turns his face towards hers and starts to shake him, desperately. She continues to shake Matt vigorously, as she yells his name without a sound. She then tries to open the door and bust out the window. Stefan swims up to Matt's window; Elena desperately tries to shake Matt back into a conscious state. Stefan rips Matt's door off and swims over him towards Elena. Elena shakes her hand and tells him to get Matt, not her. Stefan shakes his head and continues to try to get Elena out. Elena persists on him getting Matt out first though. Stefan and Elena stare at each other for a moment. Stefan struggles with the fact that he can't save Matt and come back quick enough to save Elena as well. But, he abides to Elena's wishes, grabs Matt and swims back to the surface. Elena takes a few final breathes, shuts her eyes, as all the life left her.

* * *

Alaric and Damon are still fighting, when Alaric pushes the stake into Damon's chest as they both fell to the ground beside each other.

"What's happening?" Ric says as it begins to feel weak.

Damon looks on as his best friend on the ground beside him. He tries to talk but nothing came out. He squeezed Alaric's hand as the both desiccate and Damon dies with one thing on his mind.

_I love you, Elena_

* * *

Jeremy walks down the stairs and leaving a voicemail for Matt. "Matt, man, where are you guys? You should have been back by now." he looks up and stops suddenly when he sees Ric standing in the hallway.

"Jeremy" Alaric said.

"Haven't you done enough?" he says through clenched teeth putting the phone down, not hiding his frustration. "And how'd you even get in here?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to say goodbye and it kind of happened." Alaric said not moving an inch.

"Ric?" Jeremy asked.

"I just wanted you to know that I'll always be here to look after you, Jeremy. That you'll never be alone, okay? I promise." He got out in one breath.

"I don't understand." Jeremy says, confusion replacing his frustration. After a moment of silence, Jeremy realizes what must have happened and his face morphs in to horror. "Oh my God, you're a ghost." He breathes out "But if you're dead, that means Elena..."

* * *

_Elena stood beside her body looking at the still form lying on the metal slab. When she felt a presence in the room with her she didn't bother to turn around not ready to see who it is._

_"Lena" came the voice behind her. A voice she didn't the she would hear ever again. _

_"Damon" she breathed as she turned around. His arms opened wide and she didn't wonder why he could see her in that moment all she did was run into his arms. His arm wrapped around her at the same time hers wrapped around his. Only when she made contact, did she realize what this meant. "But, how?" she asked. "Is the others here too." She continue with silently tears rolling down her cheeks. _

_Damon shook his head just as he nodded his head towards Stefan, sitting by her side. "How are you feeling" he whispers._

_"Cold" she replied with a soft laugh after she turned her attention back to him. "What happened Damon?" she says looking into his eyes. "Why can I feel you?"_

_"Because" he started, "I'm dead."_

_"Noooo" she said shaking her head. "But how" _

Before he could reply, a force pulled Elena away from Damon back into her body. A few minutes later, Elena eyes opened and she started grasping for air. (**A.N-She will not remember anything from the other world**)


End file.
